Joint Region Commander Rear Admiral John Menoni said during Tuesday afternoon’s news conference in Adelup that nearly 2,000 sailors are now off of the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The aircraft carrier remains docked in Apra Harbor at Naval Base Guam.
Admiral Menoni said 173 have tested positive and they remain in isolation on Naval Base Guam. He said none of them have been hospitalized.
Most of the other 1800 sailors who have tested negative are now lodged in various hotels around the island where they will remain in quarantine for two weeks under military guard.
“The process for getting TR sailors off the ship, tested and placed into isolation on Naval Base Guam and in quarantine locations is continuing. Nearly 2,000 TR sailors have been removed from the ship and are currently in controlled locations on Naval Base Guam and in Tumon. This number will continue to grow as we continue expanding social distancing efforts and deep cleaning of the ship,” Menoni said.
In related news, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly has issued an apology just hours after telling the crew of the Roosevelt that former Captain Brett Crozier was either too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer.
Modly was critical of Crozier for writing a pleading email to naval superiors last asking for help to fight the coronavirus outbreak aboard the Roosevelt. When the email got leaked to the media Modly fired Crozier.
However, after President Trump said he was considering helping Crozier, Modly issued a statement saying he doesn’t think Crozier is naive or stupid.
“We pick our carrier commanding officers with great care,” stated Modly “and Captain Crozier is smart and passionate,” he said.
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